Vale pleads guilty, fined $30K for polluted water from Voisey's Bay mine
Company changed its plea to guilty in court Tuesday morning
Vale Newfoundland and Labrador has admitted it allowed untreated waste water from its Voisey's Bay mine to flow into Edwards Cove in northern Labrador, and has been fined $30,000 in provincial court in St. John's.
The mining company previously pleaded not guilty, but changed that to a guilty plea Tuesday morning.
During the incident on March 26, 2013, it was determined that the mine's peroxide dosing system, which is part of the effluent treatment system, was not operational.
According to an agreed statement of facts entered in court, without the hydrogen peroxide the reclaimed water can be intermittently toxic to fish.
The statement goes on to say that no adverse effects were detected.
$25,000 of the fine will go to the Federal Environment Damages Fund.
In January 2016, the company was found not guilty of polluting Edward's Cove in a separate incident dating from 2011.
With files from Glenn Payette